bachelor of arts degree
,
political science and history

Mark Jetté is recognized as one of the top criminal trial and appellate lawyers in British Columbia.

Mr. Jetté is a partner at the firm Sutherland Jetté.After graduating law school, he joined the law firm Oliver and Company where he completed his articles.He was called to the bar in British Columbia in 1991 and continued as an associate lawyer with Oliver and Company.

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Mr. Jetté is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Criminal Law Subsection of its B.C. Branch.He is also a member of the Trial Lawyers' Association of British Columbia.

"The media lawyers, they act like they've been kicked in the teeth every time these things come up," says Mark Jette, chairman of the Canadian Bar Association's criminal justice division.

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"The public's way of looking at these things is where there's smoke there's fire, people don't get charged for nothing, he must have done something," says Jette."They hear these allegations and people jump to guilt very quickly."

Lawyers note that openness is balanced by allowing deeper questioning of potential American jurors about their biases.

Not according to Mark Jette, a defence lawyer and chair of the Canadian Bar Association's Vancouver Criminal Justice section.

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Jette pointed out that even if only one or two of the five men were physically involved in the attack, the others who only watched could be charged with obstructing justice if they concoct a false story to cover up what truly transpired or take part in the concealing or destruction of evidence.Though the victim ignored the racial epithet and walked away, the attackers, described as in their early 20s, ran after him and punched him several times in the head, and knocked him to the ground in the process.At one point, a sharp weapon described as a box cutter was held to the youth's neck and he was kicked in the side and asked if he had any "cigarettes, weed or money."After replying that he didn't, the assailants searched his pockets and he was robbed of his wallet and personal papers.At one point, one of the men pulled off his Sikh turban, or dastaar, and cut off his hair with what the victim believes was the same instrument that had earlier been held to his neck.